


A Darling Death Christmas

by fullamoxie



Category: Darling Death
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22038358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullamoxie/pseuds/fullamoxie
Summary: Genevieve (medium, coffee shop employee, and new girlfriend) is awakened by a vengeful spirit.
Relationships: Genevieve Wysteria / Crystal Elmore
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	A Darling Death Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> I wrote this last Christmas (2018) for my friend Victoria! It's a fanfic of her amazing webcomic DARLING DEATH, where I added stuff from other things I like (David Lynch type spirits and a little Christmas Carol)! I haven't looked at it since, so I hope it holds up! Enjoy!

“Genevieve, wake up!” her dad’s echoing voice came from beyond the door. Genevieve stirred, slowly at first. “Gen, please open up! I have important news!” She sat up and rubbed her eyes, noticing how worried he sounded.

“What’s wrong, dad?” Genevieve called through the door.

“I. . . Just come out here, quick!” He said. She couldn’t hear him walk away, as he was a ghost, but she didn’t need to. She couldn’t remember the last time her dad had sounded  _ this _ worried about. . . well, anything! She yawned and climbed out of bed. The air was nearly frigid, and the ground outside was covered in snow, so she pulled on one of her girlfriend Crystal’s sweaters.

Her dad’s pale blue form was standing anxiously at the end of the hall. “Dad?” she asked. “Everything okay?” He turned to her, and she immediately noticed that his tired eyes were wracked with worry.

“Come out here, sweetie,” he said, fiddling with his spectral shirt. She did so, and with each step down the hall she felt her anxiety grow. Sitting (or floating, rather) on the living room couch was a gaunt spectral figure. He was human, or at least he used to be. The man’s eyes were sunken and small, hidden partially behind half-moon glasses. He had no facial hair and his wide mouth was set in a permanent frown, seemingly forced down by his abundance of wrinkles.

“Uh, hi?” Genevieve said, slightly taken aback by the stranger. She was used to seeing ghosts, but the way this old man had affected her dad was worrying her. “Who are y--”

“WYSTERIA!!!” the figure cried as she spoke, leaping into the air and pointing a gnarled finger at her. She could see now that one of his legs was missing and his fingers were rotting. “I COME BEARING ILL TIDINGS!!! YOUR GRANDFATHER DID NOT PAY HIS DEBT TO ME, AND NOW IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO PAY!!!”

“Hold it. Who are you, and what debt are you talking about?” Genevieve asked. She was more or less used to spirits screaming or wailing, but the man’s words were alien to her.

“I AM MERLE JAKOBS, YOUR GRANDFATHER’S BUSINESS PARTNER!!! HE DID NOT PAY HIS DEBT TO ME, AND SO I CURSED HIS FAMILY!!!”

“Wow, rude!” Genevieve said. “Why can’t I pay the debt now? Clear everything up? Then you don’t have to enact ghostly vengeance?”

“I’M DEAD! YOU CAN’T PAY ME MONEY NOW!”

“Fair enough. But what if--”

“NO MORE WORDS, FOOL!” Jakobs shouted, waving his hand. Gen’s dad had vacated the room minutes ago, but if he hadn’t, she would have flown through his body. She landed at the end of the hall.

What the hell? Gen thought as she stood up. Since when can ghosts throw people like that? Jakobs was floating before her, in the middle of the hall.

“UNFORTUNATELY, MY TIME IN THIS WORLD IS SHORT. YOU WILL BE VISITED BY THREE SPIRITS, EACH MORE DEADLY THAN THE LAST!! IF YOU SURVIVE, I WILL CONSIDER OUR DEBT REPAID!!” Jakob said. He began to cackle and vanished into thin air. 

Gen winced. Her arm had hit the floor pretty hard, and it hurt. Bad. She knew she would need some help.

* * *

“Hey, Gen!” Crystal said as her girlfriend opened the door. She was smiling despite the circumstances and they kissed. “So, what’s wrong?” Crystal asked.

Genevieve explained the night’s events so far and Crystal nodded along.

“That sounds bad, Gen. Three ghosts, huh?” Crystal asked after Gen was finished with her tale. She nodded and Crystal smiled. “Hey, you’re the smartest, best medium I know. If anyone can get through a night of ghosts and revelations, its you, Genevieve.” She squeezed her girlfriends hand, and Gen blushed.

Genevieve opened her mouth to speak, but the ancient Grandfather clock in the corner began to chime. It was 11:30, a time renowned for ghostly activity during the winter season. They were silent for a minute. Two minutes. Nothing happened. Gen turned back to Crystal.

“You’re the cutest k--”

The door blew open, despite the fact that there had been no wind moments before. Both of them watched silently as a figure no shorter than ten feet crouched to pass through the door. Their legs were immense, and a disproportionately small head sat atop bulky shoulders. They held a cane in one hand and it clacked on the ground slowly, precisely, as if guiding the man along (their eyes were cast in the shadow of their hat). Their body was bent over nearly halfway, as they were much too tall for the room.

“Wysteria,” the figure said in a loud but gentle voice. “I am the First Ghost of Merle Jakobs.”

The couple stared at them in silence.

“I’m sorry to disturb you. I hate to intrude, but I am afraid this is my mission in post-life.” The figure pulled a chair towards themself and sat in it. Their immense knees towered over the duo.

“Do all ghosts look that scary?” Crystal asked in a whisper as the man positioned himself.

“You can see him?!” Gen asked, surprised.

“Yeah, but I wish I couldn’t!” Crystal said, turning back to the man. They were leaning over their legs, staring at the couple now. They could see his eyes, small and kind, set in a small, gaunt face.

“Now, my task is simple,” the man began in that soothing voice. “I will tell you three things, and you must tell me which is wrong. If you fail, I win.”

“Uh, okay?” Gen said warily. “If I win, do I get to see the second ghost?”

The ghost smiled a kind, tender smile. “You’re quick,” they observed. They turned their head slightly to Crystal. “You are a lucky woman, Elmore.” Crystal blushed.

“I know.”

“Now. The first thing is,” the man said, looking up as if trying to remember. “A dairy vendor watches the past.” They smiled. “The second thing is: the lightning is not what it seems.” Gen and Crystal exchanged a look. What the hell was this guy talking about? “The third thing is: Emmet is trapped in a hungry spider.”

By now, the two of them were both worried and confused. Almost nothing the giant had said made any sense.

“I will give you time to decide,” they said before vanishing.

“What the hell!?” whispered Crystal.

“What was any of that?!” Gen asked. “A dairy vendor and the past, lightning, and Reina getting eaten?”

“Okay, well, let’s think about this,” Crystal said, stroking her chin. “On our first date, we got ice cream. That could be what he meant, right? That’s the only dairy vendor I can think of.”

“That makes sense,” Crystal said, So that’s not the lie, is it?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s move on the next one.”

* * *

Reina Emmet was buying herself some late-night snacks at the Dusk-2-Dawn, and she felt a strange chill go down her spine. If she had been looking at her phone, she would have noticed that it was exactly 11:32. She looked up.

“Rigor,” Reina whispered at the donut-ridden shelves. “Are you fucking with me again?” She got no response from her Reaper friend, and turned around.

Standing behind her was a man; short, squat, and wearing heavy black eyeliner. His immense widows peak made his face look far larger than it was, and his wide eyes creeped her out. The man wore a suit and smiled slightly at her.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” he said in a scratchy voice.

“I don’t think we have,” Reina said, creeping away. She turned, but he was there too.

“Are you sure?” the man said. It wasn’t a question, it was a joke.

“Where do you think we’ve met before?” Reina asked. She was unsettled and prayed for Rigor to appear.

“At your house,” the man smiled a terrible smile, full of perfect teeth. His eyes never blinked or changed. “Don’t you remember?”

Another chill went down her spine.

“Please, leave me alone.” Reina turned to leave, once again, and this time, the man did not follow. He called out to her as she sped out of the convenience store.

“I’m there right now,” he said. The man let out a shrieking cackle, but Reina was gone.

* * *

“. . . okay, so we agree that the lightning isn’t what it seems,” Crystal finished. “That leaves the third one. Reina trapped in a spider, right?”

“Something like that,” Gen said. She was writing their discussion down.

“I don’t remember anything about Reina and a spider, do you?” Crystal asked. “So, is that one the lie?”

“Wait!” Gen said, remembering a Halloween party. “Wasn’t Jess dressed as a spider for our party?”

“What party?” Crystal asked, but she remembered. “Oh, that dream you told me about. I think you said Jess was a spider, though, yeah!”

“So that’s it, then!”

“I dunno!”

“I’m gonna call him back. It’s a fifty-fifty choice, right?” said Gen. Crystal nodded and squoze her hand for good luck.

“Spirit?” Genevieve called out. The giant re-appeared.

“Do you have an answer?” they asked. Gen nodded with a smile.

“The lie was the third thing. About Reina!”

The giant smiled that tender smile. “You are correct,” they said tenderly. “Expect the next ghost in eight minutes.” They held up a hand and faded away. Crystal and Gen sighed with relief and began to cheer.

“You did it, Gen!” Crystal said, hugging her tight.

“You helped a lot, Crystal!” Genevieve said. She noticed then that the grandfather clock still said 11:32, and that the front door was back on its hinges. The next eight minutes passed slowly, but they both wished that they wouldn’t pass at all. Gen told Crystal that she could go home if she wanted, but Crystal refused. She wanted to stick it out, no matter how horrible the ghosts got. Gen stoked the fireplace and Crystal got blankets, as the house was utterly frigid.

Then, at 11:40, the front door opened and a familiar face stepped in.

* * *

Reina didn’t want to go home that night, especially after that man. He had unnerved her deeply, so she decided to visit her friend, Genevieve. Gen knew about spooky stuff, and she had a whole house to herself, which she had been nice enough to let Reina stay at before. Reina was very grateful for her friendship. She trudged through the snowy forest, shivering and clutching her arms to her chest tightly. The house loomed into view, and Reina knocked.

The door opened with her knock, and Reina was surprised to see Gen and Crystal sitting on the couch.

“Reina?” Gen asked, confused. “You’re the second ghost?”

“What?” Reina asked. “No, I was wondering if I could--”

Before she could continue, she heard a familiar voice and shrank into herself.

“Wysteria,” the short man with the pale face said. “I’m the Second Ghost of Merle Jakobs.” He didn’t acknowledge Reina, which she was grateful for. She had to fight herself from sprinting down the hall and away from the spirit.

“This is supernatural stuff, then?” Reina asked. Gen nodded. “Can I stay here?” Gen nodded. “Thanks.” Gen smiled.

“My test is this,” the short man said, smiling a tight smile. Suddenly, Gen was no longer in her house. She and the short man were standing in the snow beside an empty highway, and it was nighttime. Though pitch black, she could see the man clearly. He was smiling; red lips wide and perfect teeth glowing.

“Travelling along this road in one direction will take you back to your house. The other direction will lead you nowhere, and you will die,” he explained. “You cannot turn back once you set down the road.”

“Wait, am I actually not in my house? Or is this a trick or something?” Gen asked. “Is my girlfriend okay?”

The man simply cackled: a sinister sound that echoed through the near-endless desert valley. “You’ll find out, Wysteria. Or, maybe you won’t. Please, call for me when you have decided.” He vanished and Genevieve began to ponder which way to go.

* * *

“Holy shit, where’d Genevieve go?” Reina asked. Both the spirit and their friend had vanished, leaving Crystal sharing a blanket with the air.

“Uh, I don’t know. I miss her already, though.”

“God!” Reina threw up her hands. “You two are adorable, but ridiculous!”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s like, a shit-ton of evil ghosts haunting everything! And you guys are still being cute and gay!”

“Uh. Yeah? Nothing new, right?”

Reina sighed. “I guess not. We haven’t really talked much, and this night’s been weird. Sorry, Crystal.”

“Hey, no problem. It gets stressful sometimes.”

“. . . Thanks.”

* * *

“I got it!” Gen exclaimed after what felt like hours. The short man with no eyebrows reappeared, still smiling.

“And what have you decided?”

“It’s all a trick!” Gen said, beaming.

The smile dropped from the man’s face. “What makes you think that?”

“Before you vanished, you told me to call you when I was ready. That seemed a bit weird to me, so I thought. This kinda riddle always has some hidden third option, right?”

The smile appeared on his face once more. “You think you’re very clever, don’t you, Wysteria?” He began advancing toward her. “You’re not. Every single thing you just said was completely wrong. The correct way,” He held up a stubby arm and pointed to Gen’s left. “Was there. Looks like you loose.” He took another few steps, cackling, but Genevieve only grinned.

“Golly, thanks for the answer!” She began sprinting down the left road, much to the spirit’s dismay. His jaw dropped and he slumped down.

Genevieve’s house re-materialized around her.

“Gen!”

“Genevieve!”

“Hey, guys!” Gen said. “I beat the second ghost. Only one more to go!” Reina and Crystal cheered, and the latter kissed her girlfriend again. Reina stuck out her tongue, but eventually joined them in a hug (only after Genevieve ushered her in). However, their hug was cut short.

A man in a thick flannel coat appeared. A bandana was hung loose around his neck and a ten gallon hat sat upon his head. His face was gaunt, his hair was short, and he had no eyebrows. Though he was blue and translucent, the group could see how dirty his pants and spurred boots were. He sauntered forth expressionlessly, thumbs in his pockets, and spoke.

“Howdy.”

“Hey!” Gen said enthusiastically.

“I’m the Third Ghost of Merle Jakobs,” said the cowboy. “And I appreciate ya gettin past my buddies back there.”

“Uh. . . thanks?” Gen said. “What’s the last test?”

“Well now, here’s a little lady who wants to get right down to business,” the cowboy said. “Anxious to get through it, are ya?”

“Yeah. This has been a really long night, and I’m tired. Plus, my dad sorta vanished in all the excitement?”

“I’m up here!” called Gen’s dad from upstairs. His voice was small and distant and the cowboy did something resembling a slight smile.

“Do you believe that even the worst kind of people can change? Or do you think that a bad person will always be bad?” the cowboy said, thumbs still in his pockets, face near deadpan again. Genevieve thought for a second.

“The first one, I guess?”

“Did you say that because it’s what you believe, or did you say that because you think I wanted to hear that?” Gen blinked. Reina did the same, but neither of them knew the other had done so.

“I. . . I believe that?”

“Is that a question, or are you answerin’ me?”

“Jeez, I don’t know! Is this your task, or are you just messing with me?”

The cowboy’s lips twinged upward, only for a split second.

“I think you know the answer to that, missy. Y’all have yourselves a nice evening, now.” The cowboy tipped his hat, and he vanished. The room was silent for a moment, then Crystal spoke.

“Is that it? Is your debt repaid?” she asked.

“I’m. . . not sure.”

“Are there any ghosts we can’t see?” Reina asked.

“I don’t see anybody else,” Gen replied. Before further discussion could take place, Crystal’s phone rang.

“What’s up, Jess?” Crystal answered. From the other end of the line, Jess screamed.

* * *

Jess was at home, rewatching Rebelle the Rebellious, Chapter 3, Episode 2, when they heard a knock at the door. They checked their phone. 11:40.  _ Who would be knocking at 11:40? _ they asked themself. Whoever it is might have the wrong door, I’ll just wait. They nestled back into the couch and waited.

Another knock came, and then a third not long after. With a sigh, Jess went to the door.  _ Darkness there, and nothing more,  _ they thought as they opened the door. On the other side was a cowboy.

“Evenin’, friend. Mighty sorry to disturb you so late at night,” the cowboy said. He had no eyebrows.

“Wow, I love your outfit!” Jess said, beaming. “How can I help?”

“I need you to do somethin’ for me, if that’s alright.”

“Sure!”

“In ten minutes, as soon as the clock turns to 11:50, I need you to call Crystal.”

“How do you know--”

“Better to talk than to listen,” the cowboy said. “You call her and scream, then hang up. Can you do that?”

“Wh-who are you?” Jess asked. The cowboy was now giving off an aura of unpleasantness. “Is this one of Genevieve’s supernatural things?” The cowboy did not respond. His face was unflinchingly blank.

“If you do this right, you’ll see me one more time. If you do it wrong, you’ll see me two more times. Have a good night, miss.” Without another word, the cowboy left. Jess shuttered and closed the door.

* * *

“Jess, hold on! We’re on our way!” Crystal said with a great urgency. The phone already had hung up. “Oh my god!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think the ghost has Jess!” Crystal said. “She called and screamed, and the phone went dead!”

“Oh, no!” Gen responded with a gasp.

“We’ve gotta save them!” Crystal said, throwing open the door. Gen nodded and began toward her.

“Wait!” Reina said. “What if this is the ghost’s trial?” Everybody stopped. Gen considered it for a moment, but Crystal shook her head.

“What if they’re being MURDERED?”

“All I’m sayin’ is that this could be the final ghost’s trial, and if we go, we might fail!” Reina said.

“That’s fair,” Gen admitted. “But what if his trial is to think that this is a trial and to not go, and we fail by staying here?”

“Ugh, he’s in our heads!” Reina said.

“I vote we go,” Crystal said urgently.

“Same,” Gen said. “I’d rather make sure Jess is okay and fail than to let something bad happen to them.”

“Fine!” Reina said. The trio began their sprint to Jess’ apartment.

Soon after leaving Genevieve’s house, they arrived at Jess’ apartment, out of breath. The door was locked. Crystal pounded on the door.

“Jess? Are you okay? Please open the door, we’re--” the door swung open, and the cowboy was standing on the other side. Jess was seated at a table, upon which were two mugs of tea. They waved at their friends.

“Howdy,” said the cowboy.

“So this  _ was _ your test?” Gen asked. The cowboy smiled, for real this time.

“Yes, ma’am, it was. And y’all passed.”

The group let out a sigh of relief. Jess invited them in for tea and coffee as the cowboy explained his trial and how he had told Jess to scream.

“Y’see, if y’all had stayed back at Wysteria’s house and not come to save your friend, thinkin’ it was part of a test, you would have failed. Being a good person, despite the consequences, now that’s what I value in a person.” He stood and thanked Jess for the tea before leaving the apartment.

Jess was frightened at first, but as the time for them to decide approached, Rigor appeared. She told Jess of the stakes, and that “everything would be okay if they called and to not worry and stuff.” They all enjoyed their beverages and watched Rebelle the Rebellious until the sun came up (nobody worked the next day and they knew that after the paranormal experiences, they wouldn’t be able to get to sleep). None of them ever saw the cowboy or Merle Jakobs ever again.


End file.
